Fiber optic work to close Burnt Bridge Creek Trail 2 days

The Bonneville Power Administration is upgrading 107 miles of overhead fiber optic cable attached to transmission lines running between its Ross Substation in Vancouver and John Day Substation in Oregon.

As part of the project, Wilson Construction Co., a Canby, Ore.-based contractor for the BPA, has been working on lines along the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail since Oct. 18 and will continue through Nov. 8.

During the project, most of the trail will be open. However, the entire trail, from Fruit Valley Road to Burton Road, will be closed from Oct. 29 to 30.

“This maintenance on our high-voltage towers in the Burnt Bridge Creek area will help to maintain and improve communication across our transmission system,” BPA spokesman Kevin Wingert said. “We’ve worked with the city (of Vancouver) to minimize disruptions during active construction and preserve the safety of the public and our work crews.”

The old 36-count fiber optic cable will be replaced with a 72-count cable, which will improve the communication of BPA’s transmission system.

Barriers will be placed at trailheads along with signs warning the public of the closure.

The eight-mile-long trail is a popular corridor for runners and walkers. Much of it follows the city’s restorative Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway project, which is designed to improve water quality, enhance animal habitat and treat stormwater drainage.

The work affects transmission lines in Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties, as well as Wasco and Sherman counties in Oregon. In some areas, the existing fiber is on deteriorating wooden poles that will be removed or replaced. In other areas, the cable will be placed on adjacent steel lattice system supporting transmission lines.